My advice:
Let them drive everywhere while they still have a permit, before they get a
license. That way they are experienced when they are cut loose without you.
I first drove a tractor at age 8, then a pickup at age 10 on the farm and
bought my first car at age 12 (for my "racetrack in the pasture"). My
mother let me log probably 10K miles between age 14 and 16, let me buy a
convertible at barely 17, and I never had an accident in my teens (not even
another person's fault). From age 16 to 18, I put 40K miles on one of my
cars (pretty much lived in it). I took the typical teenage chances (maybe
a few more than most), but thanks to my grandparents and Mother I had
enough experience driving to keep the car where it should be.
Roll bars don't make up for experience and driving ability. I started my
kids on minimum maintenance roads at age 12. I now have one that is 19 and
one that is 17 - neither has been involved in an accident yet. I would
feel comfortable with my 17 year old having a Sprite and the one that is 15
truly wants one.
Les Myer
At 01:52 PM 4/1/98 -0000, you wrote:
>CONAN@RALVM8.VNET.IBM.COM wrote:
>> Opinion: Put a roll-bar in it. Especially if it's her first car.
>
>Agree. I rolled my first car doing some pretty pedestrian stuff. Lack
>of experience. Thankfully it was a closed car, but it was a rusty '75
>Civic.
>--
> Matt Liggett
> SysAdmin, ToolGuy, Synergy Leverager, Bon Vivant
>
> <doofus@elise.kiva.net> is a trap. Write to me at <mml-at-pobox.com>
>
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